Monday, September 03, 2007

Okinawa comes to Toyama



I like having friends!
I like having friends who have friends.
I like having friends who have friends that like it when their friends invite other friends to their parties!
Such is the case with my friend Shigako.
We have been friends for 5 years now and she belongs to a group that plays
sanshin -a traditional instrument from Okinawa. Every year they have a BBQ on the beach near Toyama city. Once again I was invited to join. As is the norm for Japanese BBQs, we ate our way through most of the afternoon. Stopping once in a while to play/listen to music, jump in the sea, smash watermelons...
The day started out with a light drizzle, but by midday it was sunny and hot. Perfect!







But the day was just getting started. After a quick bath at a sento we headed to Champuru, an Okinawan restaurant -which is run by some of the members of Shigako's sanshin group- for some live Okinawan music. The artist was Misako Ooshiro, who is quite famous for both her music and her movie career. I had honestly never heard of her before, but quickly became a fan -she has a glamorous presence with a mischievous smile and a voice that is amazing. We sat right up front -as usual- and had a great evening filled with music, food and lively friends!
Thanks again Shigako for a great day!











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